Facts given below are collected from many internet sites. I don’t want to hold this knowledge with me, So publishing this draft version in its original form, for review and comments. Hope you will like it.

Ashutosh Trivedi 🙂

Why eat breakfast?

Every Thing About Breakfast

Breaking the Fast

The Importance of Eating a Good Breakfast

Breakfast encyclopedia

The Many Benefits of Breakfast

10 Reason to Eat Breakfast:

1. A healthy eating pattern2. Energy for your day3. Better at work and school4. Breakfast is good for the brain5. Breakfast eaters are happier6. Weight Control7. Breakfast and improved nutrition8. Adults – physical and mental performance9. Breakfast and other health benefits

10. Breakfast and quality time

Breakfast literally means “Breaking the Fast”. For some people, especially younger children, the overnight fast can last as long as 16 hours. While you are sleeping, the body needs fuel to keep your heart beating, nerves transmitting, and cells dividing, just to name a few. Much of

that fuel comes from the readily available stores of glucose in the blood, liver and muscles. By sunrise, the body is essentially in a fasting mode. That first meal of the day literally breaks the fast. The body needs breakfast. First thing in the morning, the body is low on energy reserves and needs fuel, in the form of food, to get going. Nutritionists recommend that breakfast should provide 25 percent of the daily nutrient requirements. Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast miss out on many vital nutrients, which they are unlikely to make-up for during the rest of the day. Missing breakfast can have a negative effect on general health, both in the short and long term.

In fact, breakfast is essential to everyone by replenishing our energy stores after a long period of fasting during sleep. This is especially important to the brain, which depends on a stable supply of blood sugar to maintain normal functioning. When we skip breakfast, our level of concentration declines, and this in turn affects our work performance and efficiency. Moreover, skipping breakfast makes us feel excessively hungry by lunchtime, and often unconsciously, we would over-eat, leading to excessive energy consumption and weight gain.

Many scientific studies have proven a higher rate of obesity amongst those who skip breakfast compared to those who eat breakfast regularly. For the sake of our health, we should make breakfast a part of our daily routine. Below are some healthy and convenient breakfast ideas.

Breakfast can provide you with essential nutrients that the body needs, such as fibre, vitamins and iron. It has been shown that people who eat breakfast have more balanced diets than those who skip this meal, are less likely to be overweight and have reduced risk of certain diseases.
Evidence shows that missing breakfast may lead you to snack on less healthy foods later on in the morning and you don’t necessarily catch up nutritionally later in the day either. Other benefits of tucking into a good breakfast in the morning include improved mental performance and concentration and better mood – something we could all do with in the morning.

That’s why breakfast is so important, especially if you exercise in the morning. During intense or long duration exercise, your muscles need the fast-burning energy that comes from carbohydrates. Without it, your performance will suffer because of low blood sugars and depleted energy stores. A quick high-carbohydrate breakfast that includes a low-fat protein source may be all it takes to boost your morning workouts and keep your energy levels high throughout the day.

The Amazing Benefits of Breakfast

1. RE-FUEL your body after a long overnight fast.

2. REV UP your metabolism for a healthy weight.

3. KICK-START your brain for better grades.

4. PUMP UP your muscles for sports or gym.

5. IMPROVE your mood and get rid of crabbiness

1. A healthy eating patternBy eating breakfast, you will feel more satisfied and be less likely to overeat later in the day.If you are trying to lose weight, don’t try to cut calories by skipping breakfast. Studies have shown that most people who have lost weight and kept it off eat breakfast every day.

2. Energy for your day

When you wake up in the morning, your body has been fasting, or going without food, during the hours you were asleep. Eating breakfast means you “break the fast” and give your body and brain the energy they need to function. Starting the day with more energy means you’ll feel better throughout the day.

3. Better at work and school

Studies have shown that adults who eat a healthy breakfast are more efficient during their workday than those who do not. Children who don’t have breakfast get sleepy at school, have a harder time paying attention, and tend to eat more junk food later in the day. Kids who do eat breakfast get higher test scores and perform better in sports.

4. Nutrition benefits

Breakfast is a great opportunity to eat nutritious foods like whole grains, fruits, and dairy products to ensure you and your children are getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need.

5. Breakfast is good for the brain

The influence of breakfast on mental performance has been the subject of much research, specially amongst children. It was found that children who skip breakfast were not as efficient in the selection of critical information in problem-solving as those who had eaten breakfast. Eating breakfast helps children to perform better in school, in both mathematical and creative tasks.

This is thought to be due to the fact that breakfast, especially if it is high in carbohydrate, provides glucose – the preferred fuel of the brain. Teachers are well aware of the benefits of breakfast in that hungry children do not learn. Adults have also been found to benefit from eating breakfast. In a series of memory and recall tests, it was found that eating breakfast significantly improved performance at information retention tasks. Recollection speed was also enhanced. As well as claiming a lack of time in the morning, attempting to lose weight is one of the most common reasons given for missing breakfast. However, evidence suggests that skipping breakfast results in the opposite – making it harder to lose weight and keep it off. Eating breakfast helps to balance food intake throughout the day,making overeating less likely. Research also shows that both children and adults who eat breakfast, particularly a cereal one, are less likely to be overweight than their counterparts who skip this meal.

6. Breakfast cereal eaters are healthier

Research confirms that both adult and child breakfast cereal eatershave healthier diets:

• Consistent energy intake: breakfast cereal eaters are 2.5 times more likely to meet the recommended intake of 25% of nutrients at breakfast than non-cereal eaters.

• Better Nutrition: according to studies in the UK, France, Ireland & Spain, breakfast cereal eaters have higher carbohydrate and lower fat intakes – in line with dietary recommendations, and are more likely to have a better micronutrient status.

• Lower Body Mass Index: studies across the globe have found that both children and adults who eat a cereal breakfast are leaner than their counterparts.

• Lower Blood Cholesterol Levels: several studies have found consumers of cereals to have lower cholesterol levels than non-consumers.

• Greater milk consumption: Teenagers and adults who eat breakfast cereals regularly consume more milk at breakfast than non-breakfast eaters. Eating cereals with milk is an effective way to increase calcium intake.

• Less susceptibility to illness: Links have been found between eating breakfast and reducing both mortality and susceptibility to physical illness20, including the common cold.

7. Breakfast eaters are happier

It’s true! A high carbohydrate cereal breakfast can positively influence one’s morning mood. Scientific research supports this, demonstrating that breakfast eaters are less stressed than those who skip it. Research has also shown that eating high-fibre breakfast cereals (such as Kellogg’s All-Bran or Bran Flakes) can help combat fatigue and improve mood.Taking as little as five minutes to relax and prepare for the day with a bowl of cereal and milk really ensures a positive start.

8. The right breakfast foods can help you concentrate, give you strength – even help you maintain a healthy weight.

9. Breakfast Benefit: Weight Control

Many studies, in both adults and children, have shown that breakfast eaters tend to weigh less than breakfast skippers. Why? One theory suggests that eating a healthy breakfast can reduce hunger throughout the day, and help people make better food choices at other meals. While it might seem you could save calories by skipping breakfast, this is not an effective strategy. Typically, hunger gets the best of breakfast-skippers, and they eat more at lunch and throughout the day.

Another theory behind the breakfast-weight control link implies that eating breakfast is part of a healthy lifestyle that includes making wise food choices and balancing calories with exercise.It’s worth noting that most studies linking breakfast to weight control loss looked at a healthy breakfast containing protein and/or whole grains — not meals loaded with fat and calories.

Breakfast Cereal and Weight Control

Many studies have also shown that when breakfast cereal is consumed as part of an overall healthful lifestyle, it can play a role in maintaining a healthy body weight. Breakfast and weight control Breakfast is also important for anyone trying to lose weight or stay in shape. Ironically, many people think that skipping breakfast will help them lose weight but studies consistently show that those who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight or obese whereas those who eat breakfast tend to be leaner and more likely to maintain weight over time. Data from America show that children and adults who eat breakfast have healthier weights than those skip breakfast. Those who skip breakfast on a regular basis are nearly five times more likely to be obese. A recent summary of nine studies involving both adults and children found that people who eat breakfast cereals regularly tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) and are less likely to be overweight than those who do not eat breakfast cereals frequently.

10. Control over appetite

Having breakfast helps to stabilise blood sugar levels and this regulates appetite and energy. People who eat breakfast are less likely to be hungry and overeat during the rest of the day.

11. Children and learning

Many studies have shown that children who skip breakfast in the morning perform less well at school. Studies which looked at school breakfast programmes found that children who take part achieve better grades in maths, take less time off school and are late less

12. Breakfast and improved nutrition

Research shows that essential nutrients missed at breakfast are not compensated for during the other meals of the day. There is also evidence to suggest that eating a nutritious breakfast develops good eating habits that will last a lifetime.

13. Adults – physical and mental performance

Adults too perform better after a healthy breakfast. Studies show that men and women who eat breakfast tend to work faster, make fewer mistakes in logic tests and have better memory recall than those who skipped breakfast. Several studies show that eating breakfast can help improve mental alertness and physical

14. Breakfast and other health benefits

It’s not just our mental performance that is improved by eating breakfast, some research suggests that we are less likely to suffer from colds and ‘flu and are less likely to describe ourselves as stressed or depressed. Depending on what you eat for breakfast, it can also boost digestive and heart

15. Breakfast and quality time

With so many of us feeling under pressure to fit so much into our busy lives, breakfast can be an excellent occasion to eat together with the family. It need not take much time out of the day and children who eat with their parents in the morning have more nutritious breakfasts.Children are spending £646 million each school year on sweetshop treats on the way to school.

Benefits of Breakfast for children

Eating breakfast can help improve math, reading, and standardizedtest scores.

Children who eat breakfast are more likely to behave better in schooland get along with their peers than those who do not.

Children who eat school breakfast are likely to have fewer absences and incidents of tardiness than those who do not.

By eating breakfast, students get more of important nutrients,vitamins and minerals such as calcium, dietary fiber, folate andprotein.

Studies have shown that children who eat breakfast on a regular basis are less likely to be overweight.

Eating breakfast as a child is important for establishing healthy habits for later in life.

Schools that provide breakfast in the classroom to all students have shown decreases in tardiness and suspensions as well as improved student behavior and attentiveness.

What you eat for breakfast can have an impact on learning. One study showed that eating breakfast food high in fiber and low in sugar for breakfast helped students sustain the cognitive effects of breakfast.

What should I eat?

A healthy breakfast doesn’t have to include traditional breakfast foods. A variety of whole grains,proteins, and fruit can make an excellent start to your day. Some examples are:

§ Whole grain cereal with nonfat milk

§ Oatmeal with raisins or fresh fruit

§ Whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter

§ Corn tortilla with beans

§ Eggs and whole grain toast

§ Smoothie made of fresh or frozen fruit and nonfat yogurt

§ Half a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread

§ Dinner leftovers like soup, stew, pasta, or casseroles

Breakfast cereals: fit the recommendations made by nutrition experts for healthy eating because they are:

• Low in fat – fitting in well with a weight control programme and aiding a healthy heart

• High in carbohydrate – providing an energy boost for both the body and the brain

• Fortified with vitamins and minerals – providing at least 25 per cent of daily requirements for essential vitamins and 17 per cent of iron

• Eaten with milk – helping to ensure adequate calcium intake

• And a tasty and delicious way to start the day right.

Make Lean Protein Part of Your Breakfast

Adding a little lean protein to your breakfast may be just the boost you need to help keep you feeling full until lunchtime.

“Protein blunts your hunger the most, and is the most satiating And a traditional breakfast of eggs may be one of the best ways to get your morning protein. While eggs are not always associated with weight loss, they contain some of the highest-quality protein.

Experts note that lean muscle mass is more metabolically active, and thus helps with weight management.

Choosing the Right Breakfast Foods

This just goes to show how important it is to choose the right foods for breakfast. A healthy breakfast meal should contain a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, and lean protein. Even if you think you don’t have time to eat breakfast, there are grab-and-go options that fill the bill. Some quick and healthy choices include:

· A veggie omelet and a piece of whole-wheat toast

· A whole-wheat English muffin with low-fat cheese, a scrambled egg, and slice of tomato or lean ham

· Smoothie made with fruit and low-fat yogurt

· Salmon on 1/2 whole-grain bagel with light cream cheese

· Whole-grain cereal with fresh fruit and low-fat milk

· Oatmeal made with skim milk, raisins and nuts, with 4 ounces of orange juice

A four tortilla or pita pocket filled with cottage cheese and fresh fruit.

A low-fat, whole-wheat bran muffin topped with applesauce and yogurt

An English muffin topped with an ounce of low-fat melted cheese and a glass of orange juice

A cinnamon-raisin bagel topped with peanut butter and banana slices

Other good reasons to eat breakfast:

By eating a nutritious breakfast, one that includes at least one serving of fruit, you have better chances of reaching the recommended five. By eating a nutritious breakfast, one that includes at least one serving of fruit, you have better chances of reaching the recommended five servings of

fruit and vegetables a day. Dozens of studies have shown that people who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases. Start your day with a bowl of breakfast cereal, and you’re more likely to get all the nutrients you need. That’s because most cereals these days are fortified with many of the important vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy.

The best breakfast cereals are rich in fiber, something most of us don’t get enough of. Experts say we need 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day to be our healthiest. In a study publishing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in September, 1999, Harvard University scientists found that women who as 23 grams of fiver a day, mostly from cereal, were 23% less likely to have heart attacks than those who consumed only 11 grams.

If you’re trying to drop a few pounds, sitting down to a healthy, high-fiber breakfast could be the key to success. One reason may be that high-fiber foods fill you upon fewer calories. Fiber also slows the digestive process, which in turn wards off hunger pangs later. That’s especially important in the morning.

Some suggestions: Chinese-style

Western-style

² Lean meat congee, fresh fish congee

² Steamed rice-rolls (less sauce)

² Rice vermicelli in soup with beef

² Low-sugar soy milk

² Low-fat/skimmed milk

² Water

² Oatmeal with low-fat milk

² Low-fat cheese sandwich, tomato and egg sandwich

² Sultana and walnut bread, bread with tuna

² Macaroni in soup with chicken (skinless)

Breakfast at Home

• Toaster waffles with fruit & milk

• Breakfast burrito (eggs & cheese)

• Cereal, sliced banana & milk

• Microwave quesadilla with beans

• Pancakes with fruit & yogurt

• Oatmeal with nuts, fruit & milk

• Leftovers with juice or milk

Q: What is the missing ingredient in most breakfasts?

A: Protein, protein, protein!

Eat PROTEIN in the morning for …

• All-day energy

• Better test scores

• Strong muscles

• A healthy weight

Getting PROTEIN is as easy as …

1. A carton of creamy vanilla yogurt

2. A slice of tasty cheddar cheese

3. A hardboiled egg

4. A slice or two of lean deli beef

5. A few pieces of chewy beef jerky

6. A tablespoon or two of peanut butter

7. A small handful of almonds or cashews

8. A small bag of crunchy soy nuts or sunflower seeds

On-the-Run

• Ham/cheese bagel & apple juice

• Tortilla wrap with turkey & cheese

• English muffin with PB & milk

• Yogurt, granola bar & 100% juice

• Smoothie made with fruit & juice

• Hardboiled egg & whole grain crackers

Drive-Thru Breakfast

• Yogurt parfait and orange juice

• Fruit smoothie and muffin

• Pancakes & scrambled eggs and milk

How can I make breakfast a part of my day?

Start small

If you don’t feel hungry in the morning, start with something small, like a piece of toast or half of a container of yogurt. Once you get used to eating earlier in the day, start adding more to your morning meal. Or, try having a glass of water or juice when you first wake up, and eat breakfast after an hour or so when your appetite has increased.

Pack and go

If you can’t eat before you leave for work or school in the morning, have plenty of easily packable foods on hand to take with you. Try string cheese, whole grain crackers, yogurt, or packets of oatmeal.

Plan ahead If you need to wake up a bit earlier each day to have time to enjoy a healthy breakfast, it’s worth it. Keep quick options handy for when you’re running short on time.

Finally, the key to a healthy start to your day is to follow these simple rules: If you’re a seasoned breakfast skipper, consider changing your ways and start eating breakfast, even if you aren’t’ hungry. It takes two to three weeks to rest the appetitive clock. After that, you should notice a boost in energy and fewer problems with overeating later in the day. Make sure breakfast includes at least one, preferably, two, servings of fruit.

Lastly, make sure your breakfast includes high-fiber foods like toasted whole grain bread, high-fiber cereal,or oatmeal. That’s all you need to be well on your way to a daily helping of energy and good health!

Breakfast on the run

Making time for breakfast does not have to mean missing precious time in bed. It only takes a few minutes to pour some milk over a bowl of cereal. If time is really short, you can lay a bowl, spoon and packet of cereal out the night before, ready for a quick start next morning. If there really is not time, there are various healthy snacks you could consider eating on the way to work.